Science | Schools

23 Mar 09

Students from the Cotswold School saw how the University researchers work.

The MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit opened its doors to over 150 students and teachers from local schools as part of Brain Awareness Week.

The unit offered tours of its laboratories to keen school and college students, aged between 15 and 18, during the open day on 18 March.

Throughout the day, groups from nine schools came to the centre in the University’s science area. They were given a general introduction to the unit’s work by Dr Jozsef Csicsvari, before being split into smaller groups for an in-depth look at particular research teams.

One of the laboratories the students visited was where Professor Paul Bolam’s team work. ‘I described what we do, how we do it and why we do what we do,' said Professor Bolam. 'We then showed them all the steps in a typical or ideal experiment. The area we work on is the basal ganglia and this region is involved in Parkinson's disease.’

He added: ‘I think it is important for them to see “research in action”, see how it is done on a day-to-day basis and to see what fun it is.’

Dr Judith Skinner, Head of Biology at King Alfred’s Community and Sports College, agreed that it is useful for students to see real research taking place. ‘They get a first hand view of how scientists work, outside of the experiments we do in school laboratories. They’re seeing how scientists are actually making progress out in research units and university labs, which is were we get the information we can teach them in lessons.’

A group of sixth formers from King Alfred’s came to last year’s open day and Dr Skinner said it had been instrumental in quite a few of them applying to study medicine or biology-related subjects at university. The students on this year’s visit were surprised at the informal, open plan layout of some of the labs and think their new knowledge will give them a head start in certain topics when they begin the modules at school.

The visitors had the opportunity to see a wide range of work, including the chance to look at specimens in an electron microscope.

‘One thing I really like is that the scientists have spoken individually to students, probed them, and got them involved,’ added Dr Skinner. ‘They have got the students to think about the process of science rather than just telling them lots of facts.’